Montblanc Ink: Black

[Signum1]

So the annual sale is happening at the local pen shop in Toronto. Basically, the shop owner is paying my sales tax for the inks I purchased.

 

Today's ink review is a well known ink that has sold in pretty much every nation that has people using a Montblanc fountain pen.

 

The Review

 

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5686/scannedimage10a.jpg

 

The Ink Bottle and the 146

 

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/702/img0793d.jpg

[Blade Runner]

Thanks for the review, and beautiful characters!

In some pens, MB black looks paler, but in those with decent flow, it appears as black as what you've shown.

I also like it for its nice flow characteristics without being too wet.

[aget19]

i do quite enjoy this ink in my MB 149 - there isnt much else I can say about it.. in montblanc pens the montblanc inks really shine. they are clearly designed for each other

[bluemagister]

One day, I will be able to afford a Mont Blanc....then I will use Mont Blanc Black in it.

 

I've gotta pay off that Domtar order, first :roflmho:

[georges zaslavsky]

never used mb black but it looks like a nice color

[jasam]

never used mb black but it looks like a nice color

 

it's hard for me to believe that! how many 149 do you have?

[Signum1]

never used mb black but it looks like a nice color

 

Hmmm....with five 149s you telling me you forgot to splurge on montblanc inks? Heck, even FPN member niksch had the term "guilt-free indulgence" written over his forehead when he shamelessly boasted about arriving home to discover a package of not one, not two, not three, but ten bottles of montblanc racing green ink. lol

 

Perhaps you should consider calling Mr. Mora, while you do your morning shaving with a straight razor, to place an order regarding the montblanc inks you haven't tried yet. (Gentlly pushing Georges to Mr. Mora's shop.)

[PhotoJim]

Which shop is this? It happens I will be in Toronto on Tuesday... and I want to get a bottle of MB Violet.

 

Nice review!

[loyalarcher]

Nice review. I guess I'm going to try myself some MB Mystery Black. As for the Meisterstuck, I, one day, will get one.

[mainoffender]

Which shop is this? It happens I will be in Toronto on Tuesday... and I want to get a bottle of MB Violet.

 

Nice review!

 

 

Birks Jewellers also carry MB ink throughout Canada but not sure about MB Violet. I picked up a bottle of MB black last week. Don't own a MB pen but my P51 loved this ink. I'm a Noodler's HOD fan and didn't think this would measure up but I really, really like this ink.

[OPG4711]

I bought a bottle of MB black ink at the local MB boutique to see how they behaved in a MB pen. I saved for a year and finally got a 149 with a 14K Medium nib and, since I'm a Noodlers fan, I tried several.

 

What I found out was: nib creep is very real, the Big Bad Kingfisher flows and flows out of that nib to lay a thick, wet line that looked more like a Broad nib.

 

So I plunked down the $16.00 and got the fancy bottle. It is a better behaved ink! No doubt about it. Looks like a Medium nib and it it flows perfectly all the time. That being said, the color they're now calling it, Mystery Black is very thin and is more of a really dark grey. I changed it out to PR DC Supershow blue and it's doing fine.

 

But I still have a 99.863% full bottle of it.

[Joane]

Thanks for the great review and I enjoyed reading all the comments!

 

Yesterday I bought a bottle of MB Mystery Black and initial writing proved it to be a nice surprise. As OPG4711 says, it is not as saturated or intense as some blacks. I have it in a Sonnet with M nib and the result is nuanced and shaded, from black to grey and easy-flowing, and I like it very much. For calligraphy or line drawings I use J. Herbin Perle Noire, which is darker, but for letter writing and signatures, I really like the shaded effect of Mystery Black. In general I don't care for black ink in a fountain pen because it can be hard to differentiate from rollerball writing but with a nuanced ink like this, the fountain-pen look is more evident. I would post a sample but do not have access to my scanner at present.

[Signum1]

Thanks for the great review and I enjoyed reading all the comments!

 

Yesterday I bought a bottle of MB Mystery Black and initial writing proved it to be a nice surprise. As OPG4711 says, it is not as saturated or intense as some blacks. I have it in a Sonnet with M nib and the result is nuanced and shaded, from black to grey and easy-flowing, and I like it very much. For calligraphy or line drawings I use J. Herbin Perle Noire, which is darker, but for letter writing and signatures, I really like the shaded effect of Mystery Black. In general I don't care for black ink in a fountain pen because it can be hard to differentiate from rollerball writing but with a nuanced ink like this, the fountain-pen look is more evident. I would post a sample but do not have access to my scanner at present.

 

Joane,

 

You can use your digital camera and snap a photo with outdoor lights (sunlight) and that would be sufficient for us to admire. Thank goodness with fountain pens there is a selection of colour to choose from.

 

Signum1

[Pen2009]

My 149 F is usually inked with MB Black. The pen leaves just the right amount of ink on the paper and ink looks black. Before my 146 M was adjusted for better flow, that pen laid down rather pale black because of less generous ink flow. But, after being fixed, even my 146 M can leave a good dark line with MB Black. It has a good flow property and my stay-at-home journal's entries with this ink has not lost the "darkness" of the ink on the paper over the last 2 years.

 

I think it is an urban myth about using MB pens with MB inks; but, I only use MB inks for my MB pens. For the rest of my pens, I am free to experiment with different inks.

[Joane]

Well, finally I got to take a photo of Mystery Black. It was on an overcast day, indoors near a window. There is some nuance to the colour, which I hope can be seen. For calligraphy, a saturated black looks striking but for everyday cursive like letter writing, I like shading.

 

http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab65/JoanePhoto/IMG_5412.jpg

[lapis]

Do you see any difference between MB Black and MB Mystery Black?

 

Mike

[Joane]

Do you see any difference between MB Black and MB Mystery Black?

 

Mike

Lapis, I have only used Mystery Black and can't answer for the earlier one but maybe someone else will be able to compare them.

[lapis]

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu264/peli46/MBblacks.jpg

 

What I see above on my Acer monitor resembles the real McCoy.

All in all, I'd say that they are the same formulation, at least they look stunningly similar (and not, of course, like the comparison between racing green and Irish Green which are two completely different inks). I haven't looked at the "waterproofness" and/or smearability since that has never interested and/or peeved me.

What I did do is my own water test (if I may say so). I take two identical glasses with two identical volumes of the same water at the same temperature and drop into each glass exactly 100 µl of ink. Very slowly and gently! Then, I set my stopwatch and keep my eyes open. With these two inks, the descent to the bottom, the diffusion outwards and the final colours are all identical. BTW in contrast to HOD among other blacks, these two inks are, yes, still black but with a half a hint of Syrah.

 

Cheers!

[Joane]

Very nice chart! I had to look up Syrah and I could see where a droip oft hat would give an ink a more mellow, almost vintage look. Maybe that's one reason I like it. On my screen the Mystery Black looks a bit darker and they both have lots of shading. Beautiful! Thank you.

[inky]

Deja vu - decided to see what's new before asking my question and wouldn't you know it; it has already been asked and answered ---- same day!

 

I just bought a bottle of MB Mystery Black and wanted ask if there was any difference between this and regular Black. And there it was, already answered, you guys rock!!!